About

Cost: $ $ $ $ $

Difficulty: • • • • •

Time: 1h00

DIY Fashionista
Wear It: Layer underneath a white silk shirt or wear this dress on it’s own for a party staple.

I have always really enjoyed rummaging in my local store to see if they have any inexpensive materials I can use for my next project. Luckily enough, I am usually pleasantly surprised. One of my most treasured finds was cheap stretchy rugs. These rugs are made from recycled jersey t-shirt offcuts and make the perfect fabric for a chic and stylish bodycon dress, and their mix of colours ensure that the dress reflects a stylish global traveller look.

“Bodycon”, or body-conscious styles, were hugely popular in the early 1990s and have continued to be a trend that fashionistas all over the world embrace. When made out of the right type of thick stretchy material, these dresses flatter the figure and can be worn underneath other layers.

Tip: For this project you can use any type of flared or ruffle hem skirt; just make sure the ruffled section has enough volume to create a noticeable peplum look.

Tip: Look in your local pound (dollar) stores for these types of stretchy rugs. Chinese-owned stores may be more likely to stock these rugs.

Posted by Carlton Books • Published 4th February 2013 • See Carlton Books's 5 projects » © 2024 Geneva Vanderzeil / Carlton Books · Reproduced with permission. · DIY Fashionista, by Geneva Vanderzeil, published by Carlton Books, available to buy from carltonbooks.co.uk.

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bloomoire favorited Rug Bodycon Dress 02 May 04:19
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Step 1
On the wrong side of fabric, hand-stitch two of the rugs together along the long edges to join the pieces and create one large square of fabric. Repeat with the other two rugs. You now have one square for the back and another for the front.
Step 2
With the rug banding running horizontally, pin the zip down the centre of one of the squares. This will form the back zip.
Step 3
Sew the zip along both long edges using a sewing machine.
Step 4
Now snip into the fabric between the two rows of stitching to expose the zip and allow opening and closing. Trim the fabric away the inside of the zip so the cloth will not get caught in the teeth.
Step 5
Now make a paper pattern. Place your bodycon dress on the craft paper and trace around the shape and then cut out.
Step 6
Pin the two pieces of rug fabric together with right sides facing and the zip on the inside. Pin the pattern onto the rug fabric through both thicknesses.
Step 7
Trace around the pattern, adding 2.5 cm (1 inch) for the seam allowance.
Step 8
Remove the pattern and machine-stitch along
the pen lines with the sewing machine.
Step 9
Cut along the sewn edges of the fabric to create the dress. Then turn right sides out.